How the Army checks it now
- Waist circumference is measured at the navel (belly button), in inches.
- That number is divided by height in inches.
- Strictly below 0.55 meets the standard. The Army FAQ adds that the ratio is recorded to three decimals and not rounded, with later digits dropped, so .549 passes and .550 fails.
- At or above 0.55, a different team measures again the same duty day before any administrative action.
Worked example
A Soldier is 70 inches tall.
| Waist | Waist ÷ 70 | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 36 in | 0.514 | Meets the standard |
| 38.4 in | 0.548 | Meets the standard (the largest waist that does) |
| 38.5 in | 0.550 | Does not meet it |
| 39 in | 0.557 | Does not meet it |
36 ÷ 70 = 0.51428, cut off to 0.514. At 70 inches the limit is 70 × 0.55 = 38.5, and the ratio has to be below it, so 38.4 is the largest waist to the tenth of an inch that passes.
Largest waist that meets the standard, by height
| Height | Largest waist (in) | Largest waist (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| 60 in | 32.9 | 83.8 |
| 62 in | 34.0 | 86.6 |
| 64 in | 35.1 | 89.4 |
| 66 in | 36.2 | 92.2 |
| 68 in | 37.3 | 94.9 |
| 70 in | 38.4 | 97.7 |
| 72 in | 39.5 | 100.5 |
| 74 in | 40.6 | 103.3 |
| 76 in | 41.7 | 106.1 |
| 78 in | 42.8 | 108.9 |
| 80 in | 43.9 | 111.7 |
The same limit applies to every Soldier. Centimetre values use the height converted at 2.54 cm to the inch.
What changed: before and after
| Before 7 July 2026 | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Screening method | Height and weight tables | Waist-to-height ratio only |
| If you fail the screen | A tape test, then supplemental body fat methods | No other method; a second WHtR reading by a different team |
| High fitness test score | A score of 465 or higher on the AFT exempted Soldiers | No exemption: every Soldier must meet the standard |
| Form | DA Form 5501 | DA Form 5500 and a record in ATIS |
| Who runs the program | An appointed ABCP administrator | Commanders oversee it directly |
If you are at or above 0.55
- A reading of 0.55 or higher triggers a confirmation measurement by a different team on the same duty day. It must happen before the commander takes any action.
- A Soldier at 0.55 or greater is flagged and enrolled in the Army Body Composition Program. The flag (code K) does not transfer with you.
- Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers: the commander requests a medical exam to check for an underlying condition behind weight gain or an inability to meet the standard. National Guard and Reserve Soldiers may request one if they have reason to believe there is such a condition, at their own expense when not on active duty.
- The monthly assessments and progression requirements that used to apply while enrolled are rescinded. Commanders decide when to reassess, and remove you from the program as soon as you meet 0.55.
- Units may start separation action for a flagged Soldier, but no Soldier will be separated until HQDA completes its 180-day assessment and issues further guidance.
- Enrollment, disenrollment, counseling and other administrative actions otherwise still follow AR 600-9.
Who it covers and how it runs
- The Regular Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve, plus cadets at the U.S. Military Academy and in Senior ROTC. It also applies to retention actions and to military schools and institutional training, where it feeds graduation requirements.
- Existing medical exemptions for pregnant and postpartum Soldiers remain in effect (per the Army FAQ).
- Screening happens at least twice per calendar year, and a commander can direct one at any time.
- Units must allow at least seven days between an AFT or CFT and the screening, unless the commander modifies that for operational demands.
- Every Soldier needed a WHtR recorded in ATIS within 90 days of the directive’s date.
- The policy is not retroactive, and where it conflicts with other Army directives or regulations it controls. AR 600-9 has not been rewritten yet: G-1 is to fold the directive into AR 600-8-2 and AR 600-9 within two years, and the directive ends when they are revised.
- The Army will review the standard for 180 days and may refine it, so confirm current rules with your unit.
ASVAB and AFQT scores explained
If you are looking at the Army because you plan to enlist, the score that matters first is your AFQT. It is built from four ASVAB subtests: Word Knowledge (WK), Paragraph Comprehension (PC), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR) and Mathematics Knowledge (MK). WK and PC combine into a verbal expression score (VE), and the composite is 2 × VE + AR + MK. That composite is converted to a percentile from 1 to 99 using an official table.
| AFQT category | Percentile |
|---|---|
| I | 93 to 99 |
| II | 65 to 92 |
| IIIA | 50 to 64 |
| IIIB | 31 to 49 |
| IVA | 21 to 30 |
| IVB | 16 to 20 |
| IVC | 10 to 15 |
| V | 1 to 9 |
A higher percentile means more jobs and more branches open to you. The minimum AFQT to enlist depends on the branch and on whether you have a diploma or a GED, and it changes, so confirm it with a recruiter. The fastest way to raise the four subtests is to practice them: the free ASVAB practice test has questions with every answer explained, and the topic breakdown lets you drill arithmetic reasoning, math knowledge, word knowledge and paragraph comprehension one at a time.
Try 5 ASVAB-style questions
The ASVAB bank here currently has math questions only (algebra, geometry, rates, percentages, ratios and word problems), the kind that feed Arithmetic Reasoning and Mathematics Knowledge. It has no Word Knowledge or Paragraph Comprehension questions yet. Work each one, then open the answer.
A platoon of 48 soldiers is organized into fire teams of 8 soldiers each. If 16 soldiers are reassigned, how many full fire teams remain?
Show answer
B. 4 fire teams After 16 soldiers leave, 48 − 16 = 32 soldiers remain. Dividing by the fire team size: 32 ÷ 8 = 4 full fire teams. Choosing 6 ignores the reassignment entirely (48 ÷ 8 = 6). Always read carefully whether the problem asks for a before or after scenario.
A convoy travels at a constant speed of 45 mph. How many miles does the convoy cover in 3 hours?
Show answer
B. 135 miles Distance equals speed multiplied by time: 45 mph × 3 hours = 135 miles. The other answers result from arithmetic errors — for example, 45 × 4 = 180 or incorrectly adding the numbers. The distance formula D = R × T is fundamental to these problems.
A military base receives 200 cases of MREs. If 15% are vegetarian meals, how many vegetarian MREs are there?
Show answer
B. 30 cases To find 15% of 200, convert the percentage to a decimal (0.15) and multiply by the total: 0.15 × 200 = 30. The other choices come from misidentifying the percentage (25 is roughly 12.5%, 35 is 17.5%, 40 is 20%). Always convert the percent to a decimal before multiplying.
Solve for x: 3x + 7 = 22
Show answer
C. x = 5 Subtract 7 from both sides to get 3x = 15, then divide both sides by 3 to find x = 5. Check by substituting: 3(5) + 7 = 15 + 7 = 22, which confirms the solution. A common error is dividing 22 by 3 without first subtracting the constant term.
What is the perimeter of a rectangular training area that is 50 yards long and 30 yards wide?
Show answer
C. 160 yards Perimeter is the total distance around a shape. For a rectangle, P = 2(L + W) = 2(50 + 30) = 2(80) = 160 yards. The choice 150 is half the perimeter, and 300 is the area (50 × 30). Distinguishing perimeter from area is a key skill on the ASVAB.
All free ASVAB questions with answers Drill by topic
Common questions
You no longer calculate a body fat percentage. The Army's screen is now the waist-to-height ratio: waist at the navel in inches divided by height in inches, which must come out below 0.55. The calculator above does the division and shows the largest waist that passes at your height.
There is no percentage to work out. The Army's July 2026 policy made the waist-to-height ratio the sole body composition assessment, replacing the height and weight tables and the tape test. Your result is a ratio such as 0.514.
Strictly below 0.55. The ratio is recorded to three decimals and not rounded; digits after the third are dropped, so .549 passes and .550 fails.
The Army's FAQ describes one standard for all Soldiers, with no adjustment tables. Existing medical exemptions for pregnant and postpartum Soldiers remain in effect.
No. The Army's FAQ says the tape test and all earlier body fat methods have been rescinded, and the waist-to-height ratio is the only authorized method. A different team does measure you a second time on the same duty day before any enrollment.
A second team measures you the same duty day. If you still fail, you are enrolled in the Army Body Composition Program and flagged until you meet the standard. Units may start separation action, but the directive says no Soldier will be separated until HQDA finishes its 180-day assessment and issues further guidance.
No. The exemption for an AFT score of 465 or higher was rescinded, so every Soldier must meet the waist-to-height standard whatever their fitness test score.
At least twice per calendar year. Units must leave at least seven days between an AFT or CFT and the screening unless the commander modifies that for operational reasons, and a commander can direct a check at any time.
The AFQT is the part of the ASVAB used to decide whether you qualify to enlist. It draws on four subtests: Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension (together a verbal expression score), Arithmetic Reasoning and Mathematics Knowledge. The raw composite is commonly published as 2 × VE + AR + MK, and it is converted to a percentile from 1 to 99 with an official table that this page does not have, so it does not offer a percentile calculator.
The percentile is commonly grouped into categories: I is 93 to 99, II is 65 to 92, IIIA is 50 to 64, IIIB is 31 to 49, and IV and V are below that. Higher categories open more jobs. The minimum to enlist depends on the branch and on whether you hold a diploma or a GED, so ask a recruiter for the current figure.
Sources, checked 2026-10-21: Secretary of the Army, Army Directive 2026-13, Army Body Composition Program and Standards; U.S. Army, Army Body Composition Program and Standards FAQ (effective 7 July 2026); U.S. Army, “Army modifies body composition program, adopts waist-to-height ratio” (7 July 2026). Three-decimal truncation and the pregnancy and postpartum exemption come from the FAQ; the directive text does not state them. I read the directive and AR 600-9 (16 July 2019); AR 600-9 has not yet been amended to match. The AFQT formula and categories are the commonly published ones; the percentile table and enlistment minimums are set by the Department of Defense and the services. This page is for study and general information, not an official Army assessment or medical advice, and QuizCram is not affiliated with the U.S. Army.